1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to storage devices utilized in a vehicle bed, and more particularly to a slideable cargo truck box adapted for connection within the rear end portion of a pickup truck cargo bed, between the wheel wells of the pickup truck bed.
2. Background Information
Pickup trucks have become a modern convenience for many persons because of their utility in transporting various large items over significant distances. In some locations, such as the rural areas of the United States, pickup trucks are very popular because they are simply better suited to accommodate the lifestyles of the persons who live in these areas. A pickup truck is, in many instances, the vehicle of choice among persons who must carry large or heavy items, haul trailers and other devices, and travel over unpaved and in some instances unimproved or un-maintained roads.
While a pickup truck is well suited for these circumstances, the carrying of smaller loads in these same pickup trucks can, at times, be problematic. One of the major disadvantages of utilizing a pickup truck is that the size of the bed of the pickup is often too large to securely hold smaller items. For example, a person utilizing a pickup truck to go to a store to retrieve a variety of smaller items, such as groceries, may oftentimes find himself in the situation where groceries are too numerous to be placed in the cab of the pickup truck. Therefore, these groceries are placed in the bed portion of the pickup truck. Without any device to secure the position of these items in the rear of the pickup truck, the groceries can then move or roll around the bed portion of the pickup. This moving results in the general dispersal of items across the bed of the pickup and requires that a party climb into the bed of the pickup to recover these items. In some instances, the items that are dispersed may tip, spill or be broken by the movement within the pickup bed. Placing items near the cab portion of the pickup truck bed does, in some instances, lessen the movement and dispersal of the items. However, removal of these items from the back portion of the pickup can be difficult, as it requires that a party have sufficient height and strength so as to be able to reach over the side of the bed of the pickup and lift the item(s) from within the pickup bed. Therefore, a generalized problem continues to be maintained with regard to the carrying and usage of items within the bed portion of a pickup truck.
A variety of devices have been utilized in an attempt to assist individuals with storing and removing materials from the back of a pickup truck. Some of these devices include containers that are permanently affixed to the pickup so as to contain the smaller items within them. These devices present significant problems in that they hamper and limit the overall functionality of the pickup truck itself by placing a permanent obstruction within the bed of the pickup truck itself. A few modifications of these devices allow for racks that roll into and out of the back of the pickup truck. However, all of these devices require some sort of mounting hardware that must be permanently attached to the bed of the pickup itself. These permanently affixed devices limit the utility of the pickup to be used for other purposes, and in essence take away one of the major utilitarian facets of the device, namely the ability and function of an open pickup truck bed. Another problem that occurs with many of these devices is that the racks involved have the tendency to roll off of their rollers and cause the damage to the pickup itself as well as to the rolling rack. Another problem with these devices is that the rollers may have the tendency to be pushed too far forward or backward from a designated position and as a result be inconvenient to a user.
Therefore, what is needed is a device that can be placed in the bed of a pickup truck that holds items in a desired location, orientation, and position, and which can be utilized to simply and easily remove these items from the back of a pickup. What is also needed is a device that achieves these results and which is not permanently connected to the bed of the pickup truck. What is also needed is a device that can be placed within the bed of a pickup and then rolled in and out of the back of the pickup so as to allow easy access to the materials within the cargo box itself. Another necessity is to provide a device that can be easily installed and removed from within the pickup truck as desired with a negligible amount of damage to the pickup bed.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that can be placed within the bed of the pickup truck and which can be utilized to hold a variety of items in a desired position and orientation and within the bed of the pickup truck itself. It is another object of the invention to provide a device that can be placed in the bed of the pickup truck that holds items in a desired location, orientation, and position, and which can be utilized to simply and easily remove these items from the back of a pickup. Another object of the invention is to provide a device that is not permanently connected to the bed of the pickup truck and that can be easily removed from the bed of the pickup truck. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can be placed within the bed of a pickup and then rolled into and out of the back of the pickup, so as to allow easy access to the materials within the cargo box itself. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can be easily installed and removed from within the pickup truck as desired with a negligible amount of damage to the pickup bed.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.